Solar company green to go

VINELAND - A North Jersey-based developer of solar energy
technology has express interest in opening a factory that
will produce solar panels within the city.

Mayor Robert Romano on Monday met with representatives from
the Ewing-based Amelio Solar to discuss a possible plan for
bringing a "large-scale" manufacturing facility
and, with it, between 130 and 175 jobs here, according to
Walker Wright, the company's director of government
relations.

Romano stated Tuesday he plans to schedule a second meeting
with the solar panel manufacturer.

"Vineland is a great location for us partly because
the area has its own energy utility and is progressive in
that there's an appetite for green energy," said
Wright, "but also because it's a technology zone
for the glass industry in South Jersey that can be used in
the factory."

Wright added that the "current plan" is to use an
existing facility to convert into a solar panel plant.

Romano stated Vineland Economic Director Jim Lelli has
picked out two sites that may make appropriate homes for the
future factory - one of them Kimble Glass, on Crystal
Avenue.

"Also, there's a spot in the industrial park that
just opened up," added Romano.

Wright commented that while he and the company have seen
"encouraging signs," they will have to gather more
information before making a final decision.

"We're sure that we can use the present
technology in the glass factories to help build our solar
panels," he said. "But we have nothing specific
yet; we have to spend time getting information."

Depending on the size of the factory, Amelio representatives
stated the facility would create between 130 and 175
"green collar" jobs.

"There could even be up to 200 employees there, depending on how big we go," said Wright. "They would all be manufacturing jobs, and jobs related to the facility."...